Heel Pain Specialist

Progressive Podiatry PLLC

Podiatrists & Sports Medicine located in Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY

Of the 26 bones you have in each foot, your heel bone is the largest. If you start feeling pain or discomfort in your heel, it’s time to see Evan Breth, DPM, and Neha Khanna, DPM, of Progressive Podiatry PLLC right away. With comprehensive heel pain treatment packages offered at their four convenient Brooklyn, New York, clinics, you can get the relief you need. Schedule your evaluation at the Park Slope, Mill Basin, or Bensonhurst location with the online booking feature or call your closest clinic directly.

Heel Pain Q & A

What causes heel pain?

Heel pain often occurs due to inherited bone deformities or abnormal walking gait. You wind up putting too much stress on your heel bone and the dozens of connective tissues attached to it, which could lead to:

Plantar fasciitis

Achilles tendinitis

Overpronation

Inflamed bursa

Bone bruise

Stress fractures

Sometimes heel pain develops because of heel spurs. These bony protrusions — often caused by strain to your foot muscles and ligaments — can rub against your plantar fascia and lead to chronic inflammation known as plantar fasciitis.

You’re more likely to develop chronic heel pain-causing issues if you’re overweight, have rheumatoid arthritis, or previous foot or ankle issues. In some cases, heel pain has nothing to do with the bone structure itself, rather, you may have nerve damage called a neuroma. No matter what the cause, it’s important to get a thorough diagnosis and start your heel pain treatment plan before your condition progresses.

How is heel pain treated?

Dr. Breth and Dr. Khanna spend time evaluating your heel pain with a thorough physical examination. They can even gather digital X-ray images on the spot at the Park Slope office, which are often used to diagnose and help treat heel spurs. Or they can use ultrasound technology at any location to evaluate soft tissue ailments, like plantar fasciitis.

After diagnosing the cause of your heel pain, they can put together a treatment plan that may include:

Cushioning or padding

Custom orthotics

Cortisone injections

Physical therapy

Shoe gears

They even offer Extracorporeal Pulse Activated Technology (EPAT®) treatments right in the office. EPAT, an FDA-cleared therapy, uses waves of energy to help regenerate and heal injured or damaged tissue. In most cases, combining two or more of these therapies resolves acute and chronic heel pain in a short amount of time.

Do I need surgery for heel pain?

Possibly, especially if you haven’t had improvement after months of conservative treatments. Heel pain surgery might be needed to:

Repair torn or damaged soft tissues

Perform a controlled break (calcaneal osteotomy)

Implant plates, screws, or rods to support a fracture

Both Dr. Breth and Dr. Khanna specialize in minimally invasive surgery, so your downtime after surgery, for example, to treat a heel spur, is minimal.

Before your heel pain worsens, get started on treatment at Progressive Podiatry PLLC. Either request an appointment online or call your closest office.